Players rally around John L. Smith
MSU head coach John L. Smith is getting some heat from MSU fans and the media, but he has not lost his players. Several of Smith’s players stood up for him at Monday’s press conference.
Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal reports that senior captains Drew Stanton and Cliff Ryan both took time on Monday to defend Smith.
“I know you guys think he’s lost us and stuff, but we’re down for Coach Smith,” Ryan said. “He’s my guy; he’s my main man.”
Said Stanton: “We’ve got coach Smith’s back. He’s our leader. And that’s about as much as you want to say about it.”
In the Detroit Free Press, Shannon Shelton writes that Cliff Ryan and other players are starting to circle the wagons around Smith and the team.
“We’re a family,” Ryan said. “We’re gonna come out prepared for Coach Smith and continue to sell out for Coach Smith. I know you guys think he lost us or something, but we’re down for Coach Smith. He’s my guy. He’s my main man.”
Ryan grew angrier as he continued to discuss the media’s focus on Smith’s statements after MSU’s 23-20 loss to Illinois on Saturday.
“He expects it from you guys; I expect it from you guys,” Ryan said. “You guys really don’t give us any credit. You guys want us to fail.”